Kido Destiny
by Lonelyxsky
Summary: A boy from the Rukongai suffers tragedy but finds comfort in learning the mysterious magic that destroyed his old life. As he matures, it becomes clear that he posses more than average skill in the art of Kido. Life begins before the Pendulum arc.
1. Sealed away

**First Bleach Fanfic. Please Rate and Review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All plots and characters are property of their respective owners**.

Kido Destiny

"What is it?"

The shinigami scout group gathered around the object of interest. It was a tozansho, a large inverted light blue pyramid. It was half buried in the earth. The group had unearthed it completely by accident. The scouting party was on a routine mission to scope out the rukongai for any stray hollow. A fight had broken out between two of the less intelligent shinigami, resulting in a minor explosion. The pyramid had appeared after the dust had settled.

Lieutenant of squad eat and leader of the party, Nanao, approached the pyramid with caution. She pressed her hand against the smooth clear surface before turning to glare at the two combatants that had caused the explosion.

"If you ever get out of hand like that again," She began, "I swear I'll have you both killed. And not in a humane way." She stared back at the glass.

"Are we in trouble?" One shinigami asked.

Nanao shook her head. "Not today. You lucked out."

"What's that green light inside the tozansho?" Someone else asked.

Nanao cleared her throat before answering. "It's the time freezing kido," She explained. Her hand shook. "As you all know, it's clearly f-f . . ." She steadied herself. "Forbidden. It's clearly a forbidden kido."

Another shinigami approached Nanao. She put her hand on the lieutenant's shoulder. "Ise-sama, are you okay?"

Nanao shook the hand off and nodded her head before pushing her glasses back. "I'm fine."

The female shinigami looked into the pyramid. "You knew him, didn't you?" She asked.

Nanao nodded. "I might have known him."

"Hey wait a minute," one of the male shinigami stepped forward. "If that's a forbidden kido, is this guy going to be in trouble?"

Nanao shook her head. "No. He's obviously a victim."

"Who is he?"

Everyone peered closely into the pyramid. The green foggy light appeared to dim as their stares focused. Within, they could see the figure of a an adolescent looking boy. He had spiky red hair and wore a scarlet robe, a dark blue belt wrapped around his waist. He was in he process of drawing his sword.

Nanao sighed. "His name is Masaki Nakamura." She looked into the figure's eyes. "Of the Kido Corps."

* * *

_Masaki ran through the hallway of the upstairs of his home in the district eight. The wooden floors made a light_ tap tap_ sound whenever his feet touched the ground. He stopped right outside his brother's room and pushed the door open slowly, careful not to make a sound. Masaki wore one of his father's long shirts, with a belt around it to hold his wooden sword in place. He was going to pull off the greatest sneak attack in history._

_ Masaki rolled into the room and drew his sword. "I found you Lee!" He yelled. When there was no response, he slid under the bed and waited. Sure enough, his younger brother ran into the room._

_ "Masaki!" The little boy yelled. "Come out and meet your maker!"_

_ Masaki covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. There was no way he was going to miss pulling off his attack. He was about to spring from underneath the bed when he heard it._

_ "Bakudo 9; Geki" _

_ A harsh red light flashed into the room. Lee was instantly paralyzed, holding his own wooden sword above his head._

What?

_ Masaki instantly felt his joints stiffen. What was going on? _

_

* * *

  
_

Shunsui was the one to find him. The captain often enjoyed relaxing in the rukongai, hiding from his paperwork and his lieutenant, Lisa. It was when he had finally found the right spot that he heard the muffled crying. He looked into the the branches of a tree. At least forty feet up, nestled in the leaves, was a boy who appeared to be no more than ten years old. He wore a large ragged shirt and was trembling slightly.

"It must be cold up there." Shunsui called.

The little boy looked down at the man wearing a large pink kimono. He nodded. "A little."

"Would you like to go somewhere warm?" The captain called. "That is, if you don't have anywhere else to stay."

Masaki thought back to the flashing red light. The shrieks. The blood.

He shook his head. "I don't have anywhere to go."

Shunsui smiled, thinking about how Ukitake would just jump at the chance to shelter the small child. If not him, surely he could find someone to care for the boy.

"Why don't you come down now," Shunsui asked, "and we can see about finding you somewhere to stay."

"Shunsui!"

The eighth captain smiled at his light haired friend. He knew his fellow captain would freak out. The stood in Ukitake's traditional style living room, the little boy staring at them from a few feet away, a curious look on his face.

"Where did you find this child!?"

Shunsui grinned. "He was lost in the rukongai, hiding in a tree."

Ukitake knelt down in front of the boy and put his hands on Masaki's shoulder's. "Poor boy, when was the last time you had something to drink?"

"This morning." He replied. "From the river."

Ukitake turned to his friend. "Good, at least we know he wasn't starving."

Masaki tugged on Ukitake's haori. "Actually, I'm a little hungry."

The gurgled sound of a rumbling stomach filled the room.

Shunsui grinned. "A little?"

Ukitake stood up. "Hungry even after having water." He turned to Shunsui. "It's a sign of spiritual pressure."

Masaki blushed. "Could I have anything to eat please?"

"Of course you can!" The thirteenth captain replied. "As much food as you want."

Masaki smiled. "Thank you."

"He's so polite." Shunsui noted. "What's your name little one?"

"Masaki Nakamura," The boy recited.

"He's kind of cute." The captain grinned. "Would you like to live in the Seireitei?"

Masaki's face lit up. He nodded.

"That's good." Shunsui replied. "Now we just need to find someone for little Masaki to live with."

Ukitake put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He'll be staying here of course."

"Are you sure Jushiro?" Shunsui asked. "Children can be a handful."

Ukitake smirked. "You knew this would happen all along, Shunsui."

The captain smirked. "I suppose I can't hide that fact. But seeing as how I set him here, if you ever need any help with the little one, Lisa would be happy to help."


	2. The four disciplines

**Author's Note: Now we get to start visiting Masaki's past and eventualy find out what his connection is to Nanao. Please Rate and Review, they build confidence and let me know what works.

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Kido Destiny

It was an intimidating sight, all the captains gathered in one place. Nanao was the only lieutenant present, unwilling to leave the sight of the inverted pyramid. Shunsui and Jushiro had backed her decision to stay. Head captain Yamamoto stared into the face of the frozen boy.

"He has a lot to tell us," The head captain announced. "You may release him."

SoiFon approached the tozansho. The blue haired captain drew her katana. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" Her sword became a gold and black gauntlet that extended her middle finger into a pointed stinger. She quickly stabbed the pyramid twice, shattering it into thousands of pieces. They rained over the sky before disappearing.

Without the barrier, the time halting kido vanished. The boy within stumbled forward. He looked at the ten captains curiously, before realization spread across his face. "I can't believe it," he whispered, sheathing his sword before staring at the ground. "He got away, didn't he?"

"To whom do you refer?" The head captain asked.

"Tosen." He declared.

"Kaname Tosen is no longer among us." The head captain declared. "Masaki Nakamura, was it Tosen who sealed you away?"

Without looking up, Masaki replied. "Yes, it was him. I had hoped to be unsealed early enough to make my information useful."

_Let me speak to him,_ Nanao thought. _Please, just a few words. At least let him see me!_

Masaki has seen Nanao, but he knew better than to speak to her while the head captain was present. He also noticed the absence of his favorite captain.

Kenpachi Zaraki scoffed. "So this is the prodigy."

Mayuri focused on the boy. "The state he must be in after being sealed away for so long! I must analyze his state of being to be sure there are no adverse effects."

"There will be no need," Shunsui replied. "The boy looks fine. And I doubt there's anything wrong with him that he himself couldn't fix." He grinned. "After all, he is the prodigy." He nodded towards Masaki. "It's good to see you again."

Yamamoto banged his staff on the ground. Masaki's head shot up. "Masaki Nakamura, relate to us the events that occurred prior to your being sealed away."

Masaki took a deep breath and sighed. "It's kind of a long story."

"We are willing to listen." Yamamoto replied.

Masaki nodded. "Alright. Here's how it started."

* * *

Geki? What is Geki?

_ Masaki couldn't even tremble. The feeling was so alien to him. It felt like steel rods had suddenly lined his muscles, keeping him still. He kept repeating the words in his head as if focusing on them would somehow make the unsettling feeling disappear._

Bakudo 9; Geki. Bakudo 9; Geki. Bakudo 9; Geki.

SLAM!

_His heart leaped into his throat. Masaki couldn't even blink. The sound was followed by a piercing shriek. His eyes watered. _Mom,

_ The sound of a door slamming hit his ears. Then footsteps. _What's going on?

_He heard voices. Angry voices. It scared him. From under his bed he could see his brother, holding the wooden sword above his head, but Lee couldn't see him. The look in his brother's eyes chilled him. Despite being a year older, Lee was the strong one, never afraid of anything. It was so wrong to see him like this._

_ "Masaki!?" Lee whispered. "Masaki, I'm scared!"_

_ Masaki was going to speak when a thundering voice bellowed loudly!_

_ "HADO 4; BYAKURAI!"_

_

* * *

  
_

Life with Ukitake was the most pleasant and calm Masaki had ever felt. He would wake up early each day and put on one of the dark gray kimonos Ukitake ordered for him. He would make his bed before running down to the kitchen to make breakfast for two. After breakfast, he would meditate in the garden just behind the house with Jushiro before Lisa showed up. He would come home at night, bathe, then fall asleep.

As it turned out, Lisa Yadomaru completely loved the little boy. Every day after her duties, the dark haired lieutenant would whisk Masaki out to the rukongai where they would head to the woods. There, she would begin his training.

"As you know Masaki," Lisa began one day as the pair sat on their knees in a wide clearing, "You're one of the lucky souls to posses spiritual pressure."

Masaki nodded. "Spiritual pressure."

"Captain Ukitake will be sending you to the Shinigami academy very soon," Lisa continued. "He and Captain Kyoraku have no doubt that you will pass the entrance exam with no difficulty whatsoever."

"Really?" Masaki asked. "Why do they think that?"

"Easy," Lisa grinned, "Because they've entrusted me with your training. You know the four shinigami disciplines right?"

Masaki nodded. "Hakuda, hoho, zanjutsu, and kido."

"I will spend exactly one week training you in each of these disciplines." Lisa explained. "By the end of the month, you'll be all set for the exam."

"Really?"

Lisa nodded. "But you better be serious about learning and working hard, because the exam is going to be the roughest, hardest exam you have ever taken."

Masaki gulped. "Lisa, you won't let me fail will you?"

Lisa smiled. "Of course not Maki." She patted his head affectionately. "I'll give you a lot of bruises, but I'll make sure you pass."

Hakuda left the most bruises. Hand to hand combat was something Masaki had never really experienced before. The training began with Masaki rushing at Lisa before being thrown into the air then pinned to the ground. The lieutenant always boasted when she had him down.

"Tell me Maki, just how does the grass taste this time of year?"

"Boy, the dirt must really smell good if you have your nose pressed into it!"

"Tell me if you find the coin I dropped!"

That was the first day, just learning to take hits. Then Masaki learned to dish them out. Lisa taught him basic hand to hand stances and breathing. He would practice on trees. At first, it would take him at least an hour to knock one down. By the end of the second day, he could knock one down in exactly six strikes.

Lisa shook her head and held her hands over Masaki's hands. Her hands glowed a bright. Instantly, Masaki's bloody and bruised felt a cool relief. Within a minute, his hands were good as new.

"Can't have Ukitake chewing me out for making you bleed, right?"

Next came hoho. Lisa explained that it involves quick movement by gathering spiritual pressure to the feet. Again, Lisa used taunts to get Masaki to learn quickly. After giving basic instruction, she would leap into the air and levitate above him, then skip circles around him. By the third day, the training had developed into a game of tag played in the air. But even after Masaki had mastered basic hoho, they weren't finished. Lisa would incorporate hakuda into the lesson, resulting in mid air fights.

"You can't learn the four disciplines separately," She commented as she flew backwards while Masaki threw punches and kicks her way. "You have to learn them together and use them together. That is how you become a shinigami."

Zanjutsu was a nightmare. Having used wooden swords before, Masaki thought he might find it easier to pick up. Wrong. The wooden swords he used with Lisa were harder and not at all toys. It ended up taking them almost two weeks before Masaki was at the level Lisa wished for him.

"Well hey, Maki," She said as she helped him up from the ground one day, "We all learn different things at different paces."

Masaki stood and frowned. "We were doing so well. We were right on track with everything else. I'm good at hakuda. I'm good at hoho." He stared at the ground and Lisa's feet. "Why can't I be good at zanjutsu?"

Lisa patted him on the head. "You know what?" She asked, "You're just going to have to excel in kido."

How right she was.


	3. Kido

**Author's Notes; Okay, NOW we get introduced to Nanao, just a little.** **Masaki's first crack at Kido. Please Rate and Review.**

Kido Destiny

The eighth and thirteenth captains were in attendance for Masaki's final lesson; kido. Lisa held a bright glowing orb in her hands, the product of minute spiritual concentration. By the time the captains showed up, Masaki already had his own orb in his hands.

"Ah, Masaki," Ukitake called out. "It seems like you're doing well."

The boy with bright red hair instantly lost focus. He turned to face his host and bowed. The orb flew above his head and shattered into tiny pieces before he even had a chance to acknowledge the captain's appearance.

Shunsui chuckled. "Perhaps he needs to be a little more concentrated." He patted his fellow captain on the shoulder. "Don't speak too much, Jushiro, or your distractingly beautiful voice will throw off our young ward."

The captains sat in the grass as Masaki turned back to his teacher. "You need to learn to focus no matter what kind of environment you're in." Lisa pointed out. "Now, try it again."

Masaki nodded and held out his hands. A glowing orb swirled to life in front of him, easily as large as the one Lisa had created.

"Excellent," Lisa remarked. "Now, kido is divided into two main groups; Bakudo and Hado, binding and destruction."

"Ba-Ku-Do." Masaki accentuated the word slowly in his mouth. "So that's what it means."

"Seeing as how we're short on time," Lisa stood to Masaki's left and gestured to the tree in front of him, "We're going to focus on one basic spell. It's called sho, and it's a hado." She pointed to the tree. "Hado 1; Sho!"

The tree flew backwards and hit the ground hard, the feel of it reaching Masaki's feet. "Think you can do that?"

Lisa then explained that the simple attack was nothing more than concentrating spiritual pressure on one point and letting the words frame the attack for him. Most of what she said reached Masaki, but he was thinking deeply about what had occurred only a few months ago.

* * *

_The fire was spreading to the upstairs quickly. Masaki cursed and struggled against the binding grip of the red light. He felt the invisible paralyzing feeling bending against his will. If he could just escape it, just use a little more force . . ._

_ A cicada crawled under the bed. Masaki stopped struggling. The tiny creature seemed to demand total attention. It drew Masaki away from thoughts of the fire, thoughts of death. The curious creature seemed to hold some kind of hope for him._

_ Masaki snapped back into reality and broke free from the iron grip of the paralyzing red light. He rolled from under the bed and rushed to his brother's side._

_ "Lee!" He yelled. "You have to move!"_

_ His brother looked at him in horror. "I can't!"_

_ "Yes you can!" Masaki urged. "You have to!"_

_ He wrapped his arms around his brother and struggled to lift him off the ground. It was hard to balance his kid brother as he made his way to the window._

_ "We can get out here, Lee." He reassured his brother. "We can live through this!"_

_ "HADO 4; BYAKURAI!"_

_ The lightning bolt pierced Lee's body, and hit Masaki in the chest._

_ The pain._

_ The cicadas._

_ Both were everywhere._

_ Masaki landed in the woods. He woke to find his home burning before his eyes. His family; Father, mother, brother. He knew just from staring at the house that all three were dead._

_ This is where Masaki made the vow. After the tears had stopped, Masaki promised himself that he would harness the magic that had destroyed his home, learn to use it himself, and turn it's power against the ones who had done him wrong._

_

* * *

  
_

Masaki pointed at the tree. "Hado 1; Sho!"

The tree fell back with a loud _thud_! This earned him a round of applause from the captains. He smiled to himself. He wasn't done there.

_Let the words frame the spell. Feel the spiritual pressure in your body. Command it. Demand that it obey you._

He pointed to another tree and opened his palm. "Hado 4,"

Lisa's eyes widened. "Maki, wait!"

Before she could stop him, he had already uttered the words.

"Byakurai!"

The force of the spell sent him flying backwards! He slammed into a tree as a thin strip of lightning shot from his palm. Masaki fell to the floor to be scooped up into the arms of Lisa. She shook her head.

"Idiot, what made you think you were ready to learn something like that?"

Masaki stared at the ground. "I thought I could handle it."

Ukitake was instantly by his side. "Who taught him that spell?"

Lisa shrugged. "Don't look at me! I barely taught him sho."

Shunsui stood up and walked to Masaki's side. "It looks as if the tree you attacked has been reduced to a pile of ashes."

Masaki's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Don't encourage him." Lisa frowned. "The kid hasn't earned it."

"Maybe not," Shunsui grinned as he gripped the edge of his bamboo hat, "But you can't argue with results."

Ukitake looked down at Masaki as Lisa let him stand on his own. "Masaki, how did you learn that kido?"

He told them the story.

On the final day, Lisa explained to him in greater detail the mechanics of kido. She taught him about spell chants, things necessary to get out a powerful spell.

"The reason I didn't teach you the chant for sho was because it was such a low level spell, it didn't really need one." She had her hand on his shoulder, trying to explain kido thoroughly. "And you're lucky byakurai isn't a high level either, or things could have gone much worse."

Masaki nodded. "Will I learn all this at the academy?"

Lisa nodded. "They teach basic kido at the academy. You'll also learn to better yourself in the other disciplines and even learn how to receive and communicate with your own zanpakuto."

Lisa was going to miss spending all this time talking to little Maki. She had come to really enjoy his company over the past month, and hoped he would see her again soon.

When training was finally over, Lisa and Masaki just talked in the field for hours. She spoke to him about his training, the life he was going to have, the powers he would learn to wield. But she noticed the times she spoke of kido where the times when his eyes grew the biggest.

"You must be proud of him," Shunsui commented to his friend. "After all the work my Lisa put in, I'm sure he's going to be great."

"I don't doubt that for a moment." Ukitake agreed. The two captains were in the latter's living room, drinking fine tea. "I feel almost fatherly around that boy."

"Fatherly eh?" Shunsui asked. "I've never seen that color on you. I hope you don't mind, but I'm throwing a little competition your way."

Ukitake stopped drinking tea mid sip. "Competition?"

"I found another one before I found him." Shunsui explained. "A younger one, who I've been teaching over the past few months."

"Month, huh?" Ukitake shook his head. "So you've given yours more training. I wonder who will graduate first. What's her name?"

Shunsui grinned. "Her name is Ise. Ise Nanao."


	4. The entrance exam

**Author's Notes; Masaki takes the entrance exam, and the elusive little girl finally makes an appearance. Please Rate and Review

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Kido Destiny

The Shinigami academy was the largest building Masaki had ever seen. And the thousands of souls gathered around it weren't making it any less intimidating. Masaki was dressed in a bright red kimono, standing in the crowd.

There seemed to be no age limits or other prerequisite for taking the exam. There were men and women of almost all ages. Old men, young men, old women, young women, but most of the test takers seemed to be around adolescence. He guessed he was the youngest one there. Masaki gulped.

_It's going to be fine, It's going to be fine. Lisa taught me well. If I don't pass on the first try, I can just take the test again next year._

His ears caught the sound of excited voices. He turned to find a crowd of hopefuls gathered around one person. Focusing, he could hear what they were saying.

"Can't believe you can already use shunpo!"

_Shunpo, _He thought. _There's already someone who's better than me at hoho._

"That's nothing," He heard another voice say. "Doesn't matter how fast you are if you can't land a good hit on me. I can knock out anyone in my town with just a few hits!"

_Hakuda, _he thought. _He might be better than me. Might._

Masaki sighed and just tried to focus on what Ukitake told him before sending him to the academy.

_"All you can do is try." _The thirteenth captain's voice echoed in his head. _"Whether you fail or pass, you'll always have a place in my home. And if you decide after taking the exam that you don't want to become a shinigami, that's okay too."_

_But I do want to be a shinigami, _He thought.

The academy was multiple stories tall and had pristine white walls and golden roofs. The gates flew open and the test takers rushed into the building. Masaki grimaced as he was shoved forward.

The applicants were forced to walk single file into the courtyard, something that caused many to moan. As each applicant walked past the gates, they were given a number tag to wear around their necks. The courtyard was strewn with desks in neat order. Each desk had a number, signaling where the applicants were supposed to sit.

Masaki's desk was dead center. He picked up the pen on his desk and sighed. The first part of the entrance exam was tiring. He had to answer many questions about the four disciplines and provide what he knew about the organization of the soul society. It bored and annoyed him, despite the fact that he knew the answer to most of the questions.

The second part of the exam was where the real rough part lay. Masaki and the other applicants waited in the courtyard (which was now empty of desks after their papers were taken up) for their numbers to be called. It was hours before Masaki was finally called, and the waiting was torture. Finally, it came.

"Number 8867," A loud voice rang out over the intercom. "Please report to room 12."

Masaki gulped and stood up. As he approached the entrance, he sensed the eyes of hundred on his back. They were heavy. There were some nods, some frowns, some glares. One of the guys even mouth a "good luck," to which he just nodded.

He entered the school and breathed in the scent of polished marble and clean wood. Leaving after walking through those halls would be an enormous let down.

Masaki entered room twelve. It consisted of a clear wide space with a mirror at the end of the room. There was a mannequin standing in the center, with two katana's stabbed in it's chest. "Hello?" Masaki called.

"Number 8867,"

Masaki jumped at the sound before looking at the mirror. It was a one way. "Yes?"

"You have exactly five minutes to demonstrate your ability in the four shinigami disciplines."

Masaki nodded. He stepped forward and pulled a sword out of the mannequin. Instantly, the mannequin pulled the other sword from it's chest and pointed it at Masaki. He gulped.

_Focus, _He thought.

The mannequin stayed on the defensive, only blocking Masaki's strikes. He cursed silently. Would they be grading him on how many hits he scored? _The last person stabbed the mannequin through the chest!_

After striking for two minutes, Masaki focused hard. He struck, then threw the entangled swords to the ground. Time for hakuda.

Again, the mannequin only defended. When he punched, the mannequin blocked. He spun on his heel and tried for a kick! The mannequin jumped into the air. Masaki jumped after it, throwing punches and kicks at the figure in the air. Working hard, he was only able to score two hits before he thought it was time to move on.

After mid air sparring, Masaki was feeling low and frustrated. _I've hardly landed a hit! I'm not levitating fast and I couldn't even cut the thing!_

The five minutes were almost over. He still had to show his kido ability. Masaki jumped back and pointed at the mannequin.

_Sho is easiest, but it's not that impressive. _He opened his palm. _After my unimpressive performance so far, I need to do something big._

"Hado 4; Byakurai!"

This time, Masaki stood his ground. The bolt of lightning shot from his palm and pierced the mannequin. It flew back and bounced off the mirror before falling onto the floor. Masaki grinned proudly at his handiwork. There was a hole straight through its center.

He heard a soft buzz. "Thank you, that will be all."

Masaki's grin fell to the floor. He left the room quietly, depressed and staring at his feet.

As soon as he re entered the courtyard, he leaned against the wall and sighed.

"Don't sweat it,"

Masaki looked up. There was a girl in dark pants and a white dress shirt leaning beside him. She had light blond hair tied back into a ponytail. "What?"

She grinned. "You passed the exam, number 8867."

"I don't understand." Masaki frowned. "Who are you?"

"My name's not important." She assured. "What's important is that I work for the academy. People like me are sent into the crowd to tell you of your scores. That is, after the other applicants have had a good luck at you're mopey face."

Masaki blinked. "What? Why would you do that?"

"It's simple," The girl explained. "This test is legendary among the soul society. We need to keep the image of the unbeatable test in everyone's mind, so we can weed out those that either have no talent or no ambition." She patted Masaki on the shoulder. "You have both. I saw that Byakurai. That's pretty impressive."

Masaki blushed. "Thanks."

She pulled out a yellow card from her pocket and a pen as well. "Now, if I could just get down you name?"

"Masaki Nakamura."

"Nakamura," She wrote. "Alright, you're in the east wing, room 232. You'll receive your room key at the ceremony in two days." She handed him the card. "Make sure you look extra mopey on your way out of the courtyard. Oh, and welcome to the Shinigami Academy."

* * *

Ukitake, Shunsui, and Lisa were all in attendance for the welcoming ceremony. The fireworks and lights amazed Masaki to no end. The head captain even made a speech, to which everyone payed close attention.

". . .As you learn the ways of the shinigami, carry the spirit of the soul society on your backs. Carry your swords with pride, for you are greatest of the soul society . . ."

Ukitake's hand was on his shoulder as he stood listening to the head captain. He felt like he had done his host proud.

"Kyoraku-sama, Ukitake-sama, Lisa-chan," He turned to face his three mentors and bowed. "Thank you for everything you have done for me."

"No need to thank us, Maki." Lisa patted him on the head.

"We only did what basic human nature had us do." Shunsui added. "But we appreciate your gratitude, little one."

"I'll repay you all one day." He promised.

Masaki gripped his new room key tightly. It was time to start a new journey. As the students were called into the building, Masaki gripped his suitcase and stood up straight. "Goodbye, all of you."

Lisa leaned down and softly kissed the boy's forehead. Masaki blushed a deep red.

"Get inside now cutie."

Masaki bowed one last time before rushing into the building. Lisa chuckled. "What do you know? The little tyke likes girls."

"Then I've got a gift I know he'll really like." Shunsui smiled as a little girl approached his side. She was wearing a light blue kimono and wore a large pair of glasses. "Kyo?" She chimed.

"Yes, little Nanao-chan?"

"That was the boy?"

Shunsui nodded. "Yes, that was him. The one I told you about."

The little girl studied Masaki's frame as he ran into the building. "He's pretty."


	5. Zanpakuto

**Author's Notes; The Corps come in. And Masaki shows off. Takes place 2 years after the last chapter. Please Rate and Review.**

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Kido Destiny

Jushiro brought the tan tea cup to his lips and took a sip. The feeling of the warm liquid sliding down his throat felt pleasant. He felt at peace. So he had no reason to suspect anything drastic was going to happen when there was a knock on his door.

Sliding the door open, the thirteenth captain was shocked to see who was at the door. A Shinigami clothed in violet, the lower half of his face concealed by his uniform. The Kido corps.

"Ukitake-dono," the man bowed. "I request a moment of your time."

Jushiro nodded. "Would you like to come in?" The shinigami was wearing violet. He wasn't a high ranking member, but he was in the corps, and it was always Ukitake's policy to be polite.

The man shook his head. "No sir, I won't be but a moment. I am here to inform you of the intent of the Kido Corps, regarding your young ward."

"My young ward?" Jushiro asked. "Young Masaki?" It had been two years since the boy had left for the academy.

The man nodded. "Normally permission is not required for recruitment, but as it is, he is under the guardianship of a captain, and,"

"Recruitment?" Jushiro's lips curved into a smile. "He hasn't been in the academy two years."

The man nodded. "The boy shows much promise and already excels in the field of Kido. With your permission, we will begin recruitment."

Jushiro nodded. He knew, despite what the man was saying, that this was only a formality. Regardless of whose guardianship the boy was under, the Kido corps would recruit whom they wanted. "It would be my honor to allow the boy into the corps."

The man nodded. "Thank you, Ukitake-dono." The man vanished, shunpoed away.

Jushiro slid the door closed. "Excels in the field of Kido," He smirked. "Shunsui is going to love to hear this."

* * *

"Red Flame cannon!"

Masaki smirked. He easily flew into the air and spun, dodging all 3 shots of red kido. The audience around the kido combat arena cheered as he survived another attack without so much as a scratch.

Masaki held his arm out and began the chant. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat! Bakudo 9: Disintegrating circle!"

A spiraling tendril of yellow an orange shot from his fingertips! Masaki guided the whip-like kido towards the ground.

"There's no way he can capture all of us!" One of his opponents yelled.

Masaki spun, slamming the kido into his three opponents! "Not unless I use the bakudo like a hado," he corrected. As soon as all three were in one place, Masaki threw up his hand.

"Bakudo 62: Hundred steps fence!"

He hurled a spear of light! It split in the air and became a dozen rods. They caught on the uniforms of his opponents and pinned them against the wall that circled the arena.

"That's another win for Masaki Nakamura," The announcer cried. The crowd cheered as the young shinigami smiled and undid the binding kido.

The kido combat arena was a medium sized space located on the academy grounds. It was an open space simply built. There were one hundred eighty-eight seats arranged around the in ground combat area. It was about a quarter of a kilometer wide, not too big, not too small.

Masaki was being congratulated by his opponents. He laughed with them, remembering his past two years at the academy. He had learned the proper names for kido spells and chants. It came naturally to him.

As the students dispersed, Masaki felt a grip on his shoulder. He looked to see his instructor standing behind him. He was a tall man, broad shouldered and fierce eyed. He had dark hair that reached his shoulders and muscled arms. "Masaki."

"Instructor-dono," Masaki bowed immediately. "Is something the matter?"

"You're getting reckless, Masaki." He replied. "Manipulating a Bakudo? Using Eishohaki at your level?"

Masaki shook his head. "Manipulating the spells is a way to confuse opponents and gain the advantage," Masaki defended. "And as for Eishohaki, my final spell didn't need the advantage of a chant to perform successfully."

By then it was just the two of them in the arena. The instructor nodded. "Very well."

Masaki looked up. "Very well?"

His instructor nodded. "I asked two questions and you gave me adequate answers." The red haired shinigami breathed a sigh of relief. "However," His instructor continued, "I'd like to ask how your zanjutsu is coming along."

* * *

Back at his dorm, Masaki reached under his bed and pulled out his zanpakuto. It was an elegant sword, clothed in a sheath of the darkest black. The guard was in the shape of a hexagon, and the handle was red with black diamonds along its sides. He stood up and presented it to his instructor.

"Well, here it is."

His instructor sighed. "It, Masaki?"

The red head sweat dropped. "Well,"

"You still haven't learned the name of your zanpakuto?"

"It's just not telling me," Masaki insisted. "I sit by it every night for an hour before I go to sleep and it doesn't say a thing."

"You've been concentrating?"

Masaki nodded. "But it's hard, especially with the sound of the cicadas outside my window."

His instructor shook his head. "Masaki, I can't believe you don't even know your sword's name. Kaname Tosen has achieved shikai, and,"

Masaki rolled his eyes. "I know all about Kaname."

His instructor eyed him sternly. "Then you know how he's being set up with a position on squad three. If you want to graduate early, or even graduate," His instructor tapped on the sheath in Masaki's hands, "I suggest you listen more closely."

* * *

Masaki grudgingly took his zanpakuto into rukongai. He often visited the site of his old home, which was now a clearing. After two years there was nothing left of his old home. But one good thing came out of the disaster. The field was populated with hundreds upon hundreds fireweed flowers. He sat down and laid his sword in front of him before closing his eyes and concentrating.

"Masaki-kun?"

He opened his eyes and grinned. Half hidden behind a tree on the edge of the clearing stood a small girl no older than four. She wore big half circle glasses which made her eyes look even bigger. She wore the same student uniform Masaki wore, a white and red shihakusho, red where Masaki's was blue.

"Nanao," He grinned.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I need to learn the name of my zanpakuto," He admitted. "It doesn't seem to want to talk to me."

The little girl nodded. She stepped over to Masaki's side and sat down beside him. She placed her hand on the sheath of his sword. "Are you asking it?"

Masaki nodded. "I'm trying to."

"Masaki," She began, "Can I lean on you while you try?" The little girl blushed profusely.

Masaki nodded. Little Nanao was absolutely adorable to him. She was like a little friend who liked to follow him around. At age twelve, he hadn't had anything more than a soft crush on Lisa, something that resembled admiration. He didn't mind having the little girl around.

They closed their eyes as Masaki focused. The chirping of the cicadas was increasing, something that annoyed Masaki to no end. _Why won't they just shut up and let me listen?_ He thought.

"Don't get frustrated." Nanao whispered, sensing his frustration. "It's trying to talk to you."

Masaki nodded. "But it's so hard to hear."

The chirping cicadas grew louder and louder until the sound of their screeching was almost deafening! "Isn't there anywhere I can go where there aren't any stupid cicadas?"

Nanao opened her eyes. "I don't hear any cicadas."

"How can you hear anything else?" He asked. "They're being so loud."

"It's so quiet here," Nanao corrected. "I can hear you breathing."

Masaki shook his head. What was going on? Why couldn't Nanao hear the sound? He looked down at his sword. It seemed to be vibrating on the ground. The sharp cries seemed to be emanating from the blade.

"Could that be it?"

Nanao nodded. "It's very loud to you right?"

He thought back to the cicadas chirping outside his window. "What do you know," He realized. "I guess I just wasn't listening."


	6. Tosen

**Author's Notes; The Corps want to recruit little Masaki, who challenges Kaname. It's a cliff hanger, and I know that's totally mean of me. Please Rate and Review

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Kido Destiny

Kaname Tosen had always been Masaki's rival. Although Tosen had been about even with him in most other styles, Masaki always beath him in kido, and he was always beat Masaki in zanjutsu. As each entered the all combat arena, Masaki felt confident and ready.

Unlike the other arenas, the all combat arena was large and always packed. The toughest students in the academy came to decide who was the toughest. The arena had a sand floor with a half kilometer radius. Today, it looked even more impressive.

Tosen stood on one side of the arena. He had been informed of a challenge, and he didn't want to disappoint. It was just who he thought, Masaki Nakamura. The boy had been his rival ever since he set foot in the academy. Though Tosen was a in his final year at the academy, he had been annoyed to no end to discover that a second year student was more skilled than him in any area.

The announcer was floating above the arena. "Welcome students and teachers of Shinigami Academy! On the right, we have Kaname Tosen, blind, yet he sees better than most."

Masaki had issued the challenge to Tosen after he had plenty of time to get to know his sword. He was ready. Ready to fight.

"And on our left, we have Masaki Nakamura, rising star in the art of kido."

"Combatants, prepare for battle!"

"Ready!?"

Tosen placed his hand on his hilt. Masaki didn't move.

"Set!?"

* * *

Masaki's instructor sat behind his desk as the man from the kido corp entered the room. "Excuse me," The man asked. "Are you the instructor for the students of class A, year two?"

The instructor nodded. "That's me. I don't mean to sound rude, but can we do this quickly? One of my students is about to fight in the all combat arena."

The man nodded. He produced a scroll from within his sleeve. Even before he opened it, the instructor knew that there two lines for signatures in the scroll. One was preffered. The other was mandatory. Recruitment.

"Which of my students will you be recruiting?"

"A child by the name of Nakamura, Masaki."

The instructor froze. "I refuse to sign."

"Your signature is not required." The man reminded. "But it is much preffered."

"The boy is too young." The instructor reminded. "He may excel at kido but he has much to learn. He has yet to kill a hollow or even perform a konso."

"By our records, killing a hollow would be an easy feat for this student." The man replied.

"How about this," The instructor sighed. "Why don't we go to the arena so you can see the boy for yourself."

* * *

"_Hado 31: Red flame Cannon!"_

_Masaki fired a ball of concentrated flame! It torched a hole through the center of the target. He clenched his fist and grinned. "Another bull's eye!"_

_He basked in the glow of the small crowd of students as they gathered around, congratulating him. He was used to being congratulated for his excellence in kido. There was no doubt in his mind that he was the greatest in his class. The greatest in the school even. And it all went to his head._

"_Nakamura,"_

_He turned his head and saw Kaname Tosen staring back at him. Not really staring, his eyes were never open._

"_Kaname-san," Masaki greeted. "Come to congratulate me?"_

"_Congratulate?" Tosen mocked. "For what? You've shot a red flame cannon."_

"_It's just the latest spell to enter my arsenal." Masaki corrected. "You know I've already perfected Byakurai, I mean, pale lightning." He crossed his shoulders. "Didn't even need any real instruction on that."_

_Tosen frowned. "You're getting a swelled head over nothing." Tosen remarked. He held out two fingers and pointed them at Masaki. "When the monkey climbs to the high tree and thinks himself tall, it is the duty of the wind to knock him down and teach him some humility."_

_Masaki stiffened. "Hado,"_

"_Bakudo 4: Crawling rope."_

_A shot of gold colored light flew from Tosen's fingers and wrapped itself around Masaki's body. He watched Masaki struggle as the red head fell to the floor._

_Masaki looked at Tosen with ferocity in hid eyes. The blind shinigami had just embarrassed him in front of the whole class._

_Tosen turned around and began walking away. "Where are you going!"_

_The blind shinigami turned his head back. "You'll thank me for this some day."_

_

* * *

  
_

And he did. Because of what Tosen did, Masaki learned to never let his skill go to his head. Because of Tosen, Masaki pushed himself further and further, never satisfied with his current level. He spent hours in the library memorizing spell chants. He valued all spells equally now. He grew to be a skilled practioner instead of a pompous gloat.

"Thank you," He whispered, hoping Tosen would somehow be able to hear it.

"Begin!"

Tosen vanished.

Masaki was instantly on edge. Shunpo. Tosen reappeared in the air.

"Hado 33: Blue fire crash down!"

A shot of blue flame flew from Tosen's hand. It crashed down on the ground where Masaki stood. As the dust cleared, Masaki was nowhere to be seen.

Masaki appeared high above. He grinned at Tosen.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast,"

He saw Tosen's face go blank. It was exactly what he wanted. The blind shinigami charged right for him!

* * *

"He's an idiot!" The instructor remarked from the loud audience. "He's trying to perform a level 60+ kido at his level!"

The man from the kido corp didn't say a word but only watched intently.

* * *

Tosen hadn't even drawn his sword. The combatants were fighting in the air, Tosen trying desperately to stop Masaki from finishing the chant.

"Sharp tower . . ." Masaki chanted as he dodged and fought back. "Red crystal, steel ring . . ."

"You're a fool!" Tosen yelled.

Masaki vanished and appeared behind Tosen, flying backwards. "Carriage of thunder! Move and become the wind!"

Tosen threw his arm back. "Hado 9: Disintegrating circle!"

A tendril of orange and yellow light shot from Tosen's fingers.

Just as Masaki wanted. As soon as the tendril was close, Masaki reached out and grabbed it with both hands.

"Hado 11: Bound lightning!"

Volts of electricity flew from Masaki's skin and poured into the tendril. They flowed through the kido and jolted into Tosen's body. He spasmed in the air before falling to the ground.

The man smirked. "It looks to me like young Masaki made the right choice."

The instructor just shook his head. "He didn't have a problem with foolishly attempting high level kido before."

"Maybe he's grown."

The instructor shook his head. "I doubt it."

The crowd was hushed as Tosen stood up. He was obviously injured, but still willing to fight. "You've become more powerful, Masaki-san."

Masaki flew to the ground several meters away from Tosen. "Thank you, Kaname."

Tosen's hand was glowing a bright green. He slammed it into his chest. The glow spread all over his body. Masaki watched intently as he healed himself. Done, Tosen stood up straight and cracked his neck.

"Masaki, I am about to release my zanpakuto. But before I do, I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

Tosen grasped the hilt of his sword. "Promise me that you will use your power to help those in need, that you will not stray from the path of light."

Masaki gripped the hilt of his own sword. "Ah, Tosen," He closed his eyes and smiled. "I wouldn't imagine doing anything else."

They flew at each other.

Tosen pulled his sword out an inch. "Cry, Suzumushi!"

"Screech, Higurashi!"


	7. The Kido Corps

**Author's Notes; I'm very mean. But don't worry, you'll find out what Masaki's shikai in the next chapter. It's pretty important. And the Corps finally reach Masaki. Please Rate and Review.**

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Kido Destiny

Masaki winced as his instructor inspected the wound. He was in his dorm, being treated. He was shirtless, fresh bandages wrapped around his shoulder and the top half of his chest. There was a faint bloodstain on through the bandages on his shoulder. There was a similar stain on his back, in the same spot.

"When did I pass out?" Masaki asked.

"About the time his sword came out the other end." His instructor's hands became green. He pressed a hand on each side of the wound. "You need to learn the healing techniques. You see what a difference it made. Had Tosen not known it, you very well might have won."

Masaki nodded. "I know. I'll focus my attention on that."

The man appeared beside the instructor. "Masaki Nakamura."

Masaki blinked. "Yes?"

The man produced a scroll from his sleeve. "I am a recruiter for the Kido Corps. Do you know who we are?"

Masaki's eyes widened. He was speechless for a few seconds. "The K-Kido Corps?"

The man nodded. "We've had our eye on you for a while now." He continued. "It is obvious that your skill in kido is comparable to a ranked officer. Eishohaki at your age, deceptive double chants. Nakamura, you are only twelve years old. You are a prodigy, and we would be honored to have you join the ranks of the Kido Corps."

Masaki trembled. "I would be honored."

The man unrolled the scroll. "If you sign your name right now, we can offer you immediate admission into the Corps and, if your instructor signs as well, we can give you the rank of seat 20 or higher."

Masaki looked to his instructor with big eyes. "Instructor-dono,"

"Masaki,"

"Instructor-dono," Masaki repeated, "Joining the Corps has been my dream since I joined the academy."

His instructor sighed. "You know I'm reluctant. You've _just _learned shikai. It's only your second year. You're only _twelve years old_!"

"You know I've got more power than half the students in this academy, regardless of age." He protested. "I'd make a fantastic ranked officer and you know it."

"Humility, Masaki." His instructor warned.

Masaki shook his head. "Humility, yes. I learned that the hard way. But being in a position where I could do the most good isn't breaking the code of humility. I know I still have a lot to learn, but the Corps can teach me. Please," He pleaded.

His instructor sighed, closed his eyes, and nodded. "Very well. I'll sign. But,"

He was cut off as Masaki jumped up and hugged him around the waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He was patted on the head softly.

"Just remember what you've learned here." His instructor reminded. "And do the academy proud."

* * *

The Kido Corps had a well sized building. It was hidden within the Seireitei, at the base of Sougyoku hill. A special door opened only when a member of the Corps used a special gate opening kido. It was easily learned. Within the hollow hill, the Corps barracks were neatly built. There was one large building at the end of the hill, which branched out in both directions until it reached the end of the hill. There, the building split into smaller buildings that turned toward the entrance.

"Wow," Masaki whispered as he stepped into the hill. "It's nothing like I've imagined."

"Come," the recruiter pointed to a building seven doors away. "First, proceed to the main building, where our captain will meet you and your rank will be decided. There, you will be fitted for your new clothes."

In the main building, members of the Corps gathered around to see the new recruit. The building was one large room, brightly lit. At the end stood one man, wearing a bright blue robe that flowed to his feet and had an upturned collar. He held a staff that looked both elegant and fierce, yet simple.

"Greetings," The man nodded toward Masaki. "I am Tessai Tsukabishi, captain of the Kido Corps."

Masaki bowed immediately. "Captain-donno. It is an honor to serve under you."

The captain said nothing more and approached Masaki. He gently placed his hand on the young boy's head. "Your reiatsu is strong," He remarked. The Corps whispered to one another. "And you have a good heart. We have an position open in our eighth seat."

Masaki looked up. His eyes were glowing. "8th seat, Captain-donno?"

The captain grinned, obviously pleased with Masaki's reaction. "You are young, Masaki Nakamura. You will only grow stronger."

Masaki looked around the room. Shinigami of both genders and most all ages surrounded him. At twelve, he was the youngest. "But surely there is someone here more worthy than I?"

Captain Tsukabishi chuckled. "Nakamura-san, two years after your introduction to the world of kido, you have learned enough to be recruited into the Kido Corps. You have already mastered double chant, and have nearly mastered Eishohaki." He grinned. "I am amazed to discover what you will know in one-hundred years." He turned to a female shinigami standing to his left. She wore an orange robe over here standard Shinigami shihakuso. "The scarlet robe will suit him nicely."

* * *

The girl took him into the fitting room and stood him in the center. The room was much smaller. He enjoyed watching her as she glided from closet to closet, looking for the right clothes.

"Well that's a shame," She remarked, turning to Masaki. "This is a little embarrassing, but we don't have scarlet robes in your size."

"Can I see the smallest size you have?"

She nodded, and produced the red robe. He studied it carefully. The back of the robe had the insignia of the Corps. It looked too tantalizing to not wear. "Let me see."

He put the robe on and stood up straight. It trailed behind him comically, and the sleeves were too long. But he liked it. "I think it fits just right."

The girl nodded. "It sort of gives you that cute little fighter look," She commented. "And I know just how to keep it on." She vanished into a closet and came out with a wide blue strip of cloth. It looked just like the white one used to keep his shihakusho together.

"A lot of shinigami personalize their uniforms," She explained. "Wear this over the robe to keep it tied to your shihakusho."

When his outfit was complete, Masaki was thoroughly pleased. "Thank you for helping me." He said to the shinigami in the orange robes. "What's your name?"

The girl had dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail. "My name's Ana Tsukabishi," She explained. "I'm the captain's niece and the 5th seat."

"What do you think of me?" He asked. "Of a twelve year old 8th seat?"

Ana chuckled, sounding similar to her uncle. "It's not something to get worked up about if that's what you're thinking." She replied. "I look forward to working alongside you."

Masaki stuffed his sheath into the belt. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like a shinigami.


	8. 4 years later

**Author's Notes; We get to see Masaki all grown up. There are some cute moments. Enjoy! Please Rate and Review**

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Kido Destiny

4 years later

Masaki looked over the hill. The sunset was stunning. It took his breath away. On days like this, it was easy to forget that he had duties to fulfill, new recruits to train. All of that was gone when he stared at the sunset.

He never slacked, only visiting the hill after he was done with work for the day. As third seat, he usually had a good amount of hollows to kill. Now that he was sixteen his robe fit him better. He kept it open, with the belt still holding it to his Shihakusho.

"It's lovely,"

He looked down. Standing at his side was little Nanao, now a child of eight. Hard to believe that she was already a guardsmen in the 8th squad.

"Isn't it?" Masaki asked. He patted the little girl's shoulder. "Doesn't it just make you think about what's important?"

Nanao shook her head. "I don't think of anything at all."

Masaki shrugged. "That's good too."

He thought about how much had changed over the last four years. He was promoted to third seat, something he was immensely proud of. He was proud of Nanao too. His little friend had proven to be quite the genius.

"Masaki," The little girl began, "Do you think it'll be like this forever?"

He shook his head. "Everything has to change, at some point." When he saw the little girl frown, he knelled down to her level and looked her in the eye. "But I promise, we'll always be friends."

"But what if you go away?" She asked. As a third seat, Masaki had to leave the Seireitei and Soul Society often.

"I'll always come back to you." He promised. "Don't forget that, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

He gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "Trust me."

* * *

The three met in the darkness. The head looked at the other two, and nodded at the one furthest from him.

"You believe he could be a threat to us?" The voice asked. "Why?"

The other voice, a crisp dark voice, replied. "It's the ability of his shikai, my lord. It's simple, but it can ruin our plans if he knows when to use it."

"Tell me about his abilities," The head voice commanded as the other voice stepped out of the shadows. "Spare no detail, Kaname."

* * *

_Tosen rushed at him, pulling his sword out a centimeter. "Cry!" He called. "Suzumushi!"_

_ The ability was simple. Suzumushi produced a high frequency sound that instantly knocked out it's target. Painless, yet effective. He thought the match would end right there. Except,_

_ "Screech!" The boy called out as he drew his sword. "Higurashi!"_

_ They clashed, throwing up a thick cloud of dust. From within, Tosen could 'see' his shikai. The boy held his hand out. He grasped a long sharp dagger, the blade facing downward. Blades. It was a trident dagger. One blade pointed down. The others diagonally were looking left and right._

_ But that wasn't the impressive part. The ability was unique. Masaki Nakamura was surrounded by a thin layer of special reiatsu._

_ "Like it?" Masaki asked. "It's Higurashi's special ability. It completely negates the effects of all kido and kido type zanpakuto. The only kido that survives is my own.. Ironic, isn't it?" He asked._

_ Tosen smiled. "What an interesting power." He remarked. "I hope you use it to the best of your ability."_

_ They rushed at each other one last time. That is how Masaki was pierced straight through by Tosen's sword. And how Masaki left three less-deep gashes in Tosen._

_

* * *

_

"I see," The head voice acknowledged. "Then there's no getting around it. To be sure Nakamura isn't a threat, he must either join us or be taken out."

* * *

Nanao slept on Masaki's chest, breathing lightly. The two were atop their favorite hill in the Rukongai, both done with their duties for the day. Masaki was only napping, still alert to the world around him. He wasn't uncomfortable being this close to his little friend. He had known her since she was two, so it was hard not be.

That's when he heard it. He snapped his eyes open. The hollow was spider like, eight dark green clawed legs and a long neck. It hissed at him.

"If she wakes up because of you," He threatened, "Your death will be extra slow and very painful."

The hollow shot its head forward!

Masaki smoothly scooped Nanao into his arms and sidestepped the attack. The hollows head smashed the tree to splinters. Masaki vanished with Nanao, appearing on top of the hollow's skull head.

**"If you really cared about that girl, you'd drop her and keep her away from your fight."**

Masaki vanished again. He appeared leaning on the hollow's side. "Actually, it's the opposite." He whispered. "You'll never score a hit on me. The only safe place for her is with me."

The hollow snapped its fangs where Masaki once was. He was now standing several meters away. "Screech," He whispered as he drew his sword. "Higurashi."

He sword glowed before morphing into the trident dagger. He held the sleeping Nanao against him with his free hand. "This will be quick." He whispered, pointing the dagger at the hollow.

The extra blades vibrated before buzzing against each other like the wings of a cicada. "Hanauta Kaze."

A sonic blast shot from his dagger! It slammed into the hollow and shattered it into nothingness. Nanao stirred in his arms before yawning loudly and opening her eyes.

"Masaki?" She looked around. "Did something happen?"

He shook his head. "Nothing at all. You can go back to sleep."

* * *

"And so with a mighty sweep of his sword, the warrior struck down the fierce ogre and sent him back into the swamp."

Lisa read to little Nanao, who was snuggled up in her bed. The sun had just set, and it was the one day a month when Nanao asked Lisa to read to her before she slept.

"And the warrior was sure to be so quiet that the young empress never even woke up. Not until the warrior returned to her, to let her know she was safe."

"Why didn't the warrior want to wake the princess up?" She asked.

"Because," Lisa replied, "He loved her so much he didn't even want to disturb her sleep."

"Masaki fought a hollow today." Nanao began. "He thought I was asleep and he didn't tell me about it when he thought I was awake. Does that mean he loves me?"

Lisa chuckled. "I don't doubt it little girl. That boy wouldn't let a hollow touch a hair on your head."

"I love him." Nanao confided. "If he loves me, does that mean we could get married?"

Lisa shrugged. "I don't think that could happen anytime soon. But you're not too far apart in age for shinigami. He'll stop aging soon, then you can swoop in on him," She winked.

Nanao blushed. "Thank you Lisa-chan."


	9. Nanao's heart

**Author's Notes; We set the stage. A cute moment too. Please Rate and Review**

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Kido Destiny

Masaki marched in front of a group of students who had just been recruited into the Corps. They were weak, unranked. But he would change that. They were all gathered in the big open space in the center of the barracks, lined up. There were about eleven total.

"Kido is not something you want to toy with," He announced. "It's not a plaything and it most certainly is not easy to master. If you go into a fight with an arrogant attitude and a half memorized spell chant, you will die. Just knowing a chant is not enough to perform the spell."

One of the students raised his hands, a boy who was taller than Masaki, had broader shoulders and even looked a little bit older. "I have a question," He asked. "When's the 3rd seat going to arrive to teach us?"

The rest of the recruits giggle. Masaki's eyes narrowed. "You don't think I'm qualified to be 3rd seat, recruit?"

The recruit shrugged. "It's just that you're so young, like a child."

The boy was on the floor immediately. Masaki stood on his back, one of his feet pushing down on the boy's head. "My youth should tell you something about my ability," Masaki corrected. "Bakudo 1: Restrain."

The boy's arms were thrown to his back and held there by an invisible force. "You see kids," He projected, "basic kido is nothing to mock. The low level spells are easy to use and therefore easy to master. Better to spend two seconds restraining a hollow than waste ten seconds trying to chant a spell you're not good enough to use."

He stepped off the recruit and gestured towards him. "Mastering this spell is easy. Because I've mastered it, if I don't cancel the spell this boy here will be restrained for exactly seventeen hours at least. Because he places so much importance on age, you all get to practice while he loses a day of experience."

He eyed the small crowd. "Any further comments like his and you will suffer the same fate."

* * *

Hachigen Ushoda sat in the kido temple located behind and connected to the captain headquarters. Masaki entered quietly and sat down across from the lieutenant. He wasn't acknowledged immediately, as Hachi wasn't yet done with his meditation. The temple was only open to the ranked officers with special duties.

Hachi opened his eyes and nodded at Masaki. "Good evening Masaki-kun."

Masaki nodded. "Good evening. You wanted to see me?"

"There's a mission of special interest to the Corps." Hachi explained. "I want you to take it and perform to the best of your ability."

"I'll take it." Masaki accepted.

For some reason Hachi seemed oddly sad. "Is there something wrong," Masaki asked.

Hachi nodded. "This mission is exceptionally dangerous, and because our captain is too busy here, I would have preffered to embark upon this mission."

"Then why not you?" Masaki asked. "After all, you are more powerful than I am."

Hachi sighed. "You see Masaki, as lieutenant I'm considered too valuable and captain will not let me go."

Masaki understood. "You need someone who's powerful enough to succeed but not valuable enough so their death would not be considered a big loss."

"The death of any member of the Corps would be a great loss." Hachi explained. "But statistically speaking, that is the truth."

"Is the mission that dangerous?" He asked.

Hachi nodded. "An unknown shinigami has been captured by hollow and taken to Hueco Mundo. This mission involves opening a garganta, finding the shinigami and bringing him or her home."

Masaki nodded. "But I haven't learned garganta."

Hachi smiled. "No, but I recently have. I understand that your ability to learn kido is remarkably fast. Masaki, I believe your semi-photographic memory could help you learn garganta. I shall open it for you and you shall open your own way back."

Masaki's eyes widened. "You really think I could learn it that fast?"

Hachi nodded. "But if not, I will return for you in exactly one week. That would not be convenient for anyone but I will not leave you behind."

"Understood."

"Good. Retrieve any items you believe you need then return to the temple two hours."

* * *

Masaki stared up at the full moon, back on his favorite hill. He was sad to leave, because he would be gone for a long trip. A week at the most, maybe even more if he was injured, over even killed. He had many friends he wanted to come home to. Ana, Shunsui, Jushiro, Lisa. But especially his best little friend.

"Masaki," Nanao whispered. "A whole week."

He nodded. "Yes. Maybe more."

She stared at the ground. "I don't want you to go."

He knelled down put his hand on her shoulder. "I know, Nanao. But I promise I'll do my best to come back to you as soon as I can."

"Okay," She nodded, but he could tell she was obviously depressed. Then he grinned.

"Nanao, before I leave, I want to promise you anything you want."

Her eyes lit up. "W-what?"

He nodded. "I'll promise you absolutely anything you'd like." He explained. "Anything at all that I can give you, you can have."

The little girl blushed. "Okay," She whispered. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him lightly on the cheek, dangerously close to his lips. Immediately she put her hands down and took a step back before staring at the ground.

He chuckled. "Was this it, Nanao?"

She shook her head. "Masaki, I love you." She whispered, blushing even harder. "When you come back from your mission," She turned away. "I want you to ask me to marry you."

He smiled, a tiny blush appearing in his face. "Ah, my little Nanao," He whispered. "You know I can't marry you right now. But soon I'll stop aging, then you'll stop aging. And at that time, I would love to marry you."

Her blush became, if possible, redder. "Really?"

He nodded. "When I met you, if anyone asked me who I wanted to marry I would have said my little Nanao. You're my best friend."

"Do you love me?" She asked.

He put his arms around her and gave her a hug. "Of course I do," He answered. "But I don't think it's the same kind of love you have for me."

"What do you mean?" She asked, sounding a little worried.

"I love you just as much as I can right now." He explained. "You can love me your way because your heart is so big and wonderful. But you have to remember that I love you so much. If I have my choice of who I want to spend my life with, it's you."

Nanao held him tight. "Thank you," She whispered.

Masaki broke the hug and kept his hands on her shoulders. "You know what?" He asked. "Why wait." He took one of Nanao's hands in his own and looked into her eyes. "Nanao," He whispered. "Will you marry me?"

She almost fell backwards. He caught her as she looked up at him. "Masaki," She whispered. Her eyes watered. "Yes."

He gave her a tiny kiss on the head. "Congratulations Nanao Ise, you're engaged."

"We can get married?" She whispered.

"When we both stop aging," He reminded. "And when we're madly in love. I know I want to spend my life with you, but it wouldn't be fair to marry you if I didn't love you like you love me. Will you wait for me?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He stood up and took her hands in his. "Care to dance with me by the moonlight, fiancé?"

She nodded. There, on the hilltop, the two best friend fiancés danced to no music by the light of the moon, the only melody being the one in their heads.

When they finished, he knelled down once more. "I have to go, Nanao."

She nodded. "I know." She leaned on his shoulder. "But please come back."

"I promise, no matter what happens, I will come back to you."

With a soft goodbye, he vanished into the air. And that was the last time Nanao saw Masaki for one hundred years.

* * *

**Just to be completely clear, Masaki is 16 years old and NOT a pedophile. I tried to make that as clear as possible, so please try not to get mad over nothing.**


	10. Betrayed

Kido Destiny

The ripping void of darkness closed behind Masaki as he took his first steps into Hueco Mundo. It was a dark desert world that gave Masaki an eerie feeling.

_Get it, find the shinigami, get out._ He thought to himself. It was as simple as that. Focusing, Masaki searched the world for shinigami. Ribbons flew into his inner world. They were all colored a deep black. But the one he was looking for was a bright red one. He found it hidden amongst a lot of thick black ribbons, one of them feeling particularly evil.

_Vasto Lorde_ He thought. _There's no way I could defeat something that powerful._ He sighed, then levitated high into the air. _Just find him, then leave._

He knew the Menos dwelt under the sand, in the forests. As long as he stayed high, he could avoid them. Most of them.

He stayed in the air for exactly three days. Masaki ate through his supplies slowly, making them last. But it was hard, trying to sleep in the sky. He had to find secure looking places to rest, like empty caves or the branches of rare trees. But always, before nodding off, he always put up a guard in the form of Bakudo 73, the inverse mountain crystal.

After following the trail for three days, he found him. The shinigami had tears in his shihakusho and looked cut and worn. He was kneeling on a high mountain top, a tozansho of his own protecting him. From what, Masaki didn't want to think about.

He flew to the shinigami and tapped against the guard. It looked up at him.

Kaname Tosen.

Masaki's eyes widened. "Kaname!?" He blurted.

The blind shinigami nodded. "Help,"

The barrier faded out. Masaki lifted his friend onto his feet and supported him with his shoulder. "Come, we're getting you out of here right away."

Tosen shook his head. "No, you don't understand. They are _everywhere_!"

As if on cue, a horde of hollow appeared on the horizon. There were more than a few gilian in the mix. Masaki gulped.

"We are like a bright light in the dark to them," Tosen explained. "And like sugar as well."

Masaki analyzed the situation quickly. _Need to open garganta. But I don't know if I've learned it yet. Might take a few tries, but the hollow won't wait._

He decided to start off with a spell he knew. He let Tosen onto the ground and held his arms out. His hands began to glow a bright green. He slammed his palms into Tosen's body, instantly rejuvenating him.

"Tosen," He said, "We don't have much time before they arrived. I can open a garganta to get us home, but not with the hollow around. Can you help me take them down?"

Tosen nodded. "It would be an honor to fight alongside you, old friend."

The horde were climbing up the mountain. The shinigami grabbed onto their hilts.

"Cry, Suzumushi!"

"Screech, Higurashi!"

Swords active, the shinigami flew into the air. The first wave of hollow were knocked out cold by Tosen's Suzumushi. Masaki flew higher.

"Hanauta Kaze!"

His blades buzzed. He swung the dagger in a wide arc, sending a powerful sonic blast at the hollow. Several were killed, others just fell back.

Masaki flew low as Tosen flew high. The blind shinigami swung his sword out. It vibrated.

"Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihiko!"

Dozens of blades appeared in the range of his arc. They flew down and impaled many hollow.

The shinigami flew to the ground, ready for their next attack. Masaki pointed his hands at the horde as they climbed over their fallen hollow brethren. He looked at Tosen. "63 one!" He called. Tosen nodded and pointed his own hands at the ground.

"Sprinkled on the bones of the beast!" They chanted. "Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring."

The hollows were racing to the top. "Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm." A gilian raised its head and looked at them. "The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!" It opened its mouth and began a cero.

"Hado 63!" The called. "Thunder roar cannon!"

Huge bolts of lightning shot from their hands! The gilian was killed instanstly, as were many other hollow. Masaki looked at Tosen. "63 two!"

They stared at the horde. "Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh!"

Six hours. They fought the hollow for six hours straight, but finally all were decimated. Masaki sighed in relief. "Good," He breathed. "Now we can get you home."

Tosen nodded. "Yes, let's go home."

Masaki clapped his hands together. "My right hand is the stone that bridges worlds. My left hand is the blade that binds reality. The black-haired shepherd is hung from a chair. Stratus clouds come,"

Masaki stopped. He felt something warm and wet trickle down his back, followed by a sharp pain. "Tosen?"

"I am sorry, Masaki Nakamura." Tosen whispered. "But I will be going home without you."

Masaki fell on one knee and looked at Tosen. "What are you doing Kaname?" He asked. "What's going on?"

"Simple," Tosen replied. He appeared in front of Masaki. "Justice is an ever elusive goal. It comes in many forms, and is never easily attained. It comes at a high price, too. Sometimes, the death of an innocent is a necessary evil in order to attain justice."

Masaki's eyes widened. "Justice?" He asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I am part of a group that plans to attain pure justice," Tosen explained. "And unfortunately, the ability of your zanpakuto could interfere with our goal. Now you are faced with two options; join us, or death."

Masaki fell on his hands. "If your goal was anything good," He began, "You wouldn't have had to lure me to Hueco Mundo to recruit me. That was your first mistake." He breathed.

"And," He continued, "Your second mistake was messing with a kido expert."

"Hado 11,"

He choked. Tosen's sword pierced his left shoulder. The feel of his sword guard was cold against his skin. Blood trickled down Masaki's mouth. He grasped Tosen's hilt. "Bound lightning!"

The attack shocked them both! They were blown back, Tosen's sword still sheathed in Masaki's shoulder. Quickly and painfully, he pulled it out and pointed it at its master.

"Kaname!" He yelled. "Why are you doing this!? Why are you turning your back on everything you stood for!?"

Tosen shook his head. "I have always stood for the path of least resistance. If you joined us, you too would understand. You know nothing of our ideas, our plans."

The blind shinigami was before him in a split second, not 3 centimeters away. "Now give me back my sword."

He grabbed his sword and slammed his palm into Masaki's chest. He went flying back, off the mountaintop. _His speed! That's not the speed of a 5__th__ seat!_

Tosen was immediately right in front of him, flying downwards. He grabbed Masaki's zanpakuto and pulled it away! Masaki's belt was undone. Tosen grabbed his shoulder with one hand and made a fist with the other. He threw it!  
They landed hard, kicking up a cloud of dust. Tosen looked down. Masaki wasn't there.

"Tosen!"

The blind shinigami looked up. Floating high above stood Masaki. "I will strike you down!"

He held his hand out. "Bakudo 9: Disintegrating circle!" A tendril of yellow and orange power shot from his hand. "Hado 11: Bound lightning!" Electricity shot through the tendril Masaki held. It became thinner, longer.

"Consider yourself lucky, Kaname," Masaki said. "No one else has seen this attack. Combination kido," He raised his hand high above. The whip flew high above and twirled in the air. "Lightning whip!"

He brought it down. Tosen flew away, dodging it easily. "Do you think that is supposed to impress,"

The whip snapped to the left and wrapped around Tosen's chest. Lightning bolts flew into his system, burning him from within. Tosen fell on his knees.

"I don't understand," Tosen gasped. "I thought that fight would have taken its toll on you."

Masaki grinned. "It has. I feel like iron nails are being driven into my skull. But I _will _strike you down!"

The whip became an orange and yellow tendril again. Masaki let it go and it wrapped around Tosen, binding him tightly. Masaki flew down, and pulled his sheathed sword out from Tosen's grasp. "Now I'm going to finish this." He grabbed his belt and wrapped it around his waist before sliding his sheath in.

And then he was falling.

He looked down. Utter blackness. He looked up. Tosen was flying down, the world of Hueco Mundo was closing behind him. He was in a garganta.

Tosen broke his binding and flew to Masaki. The fought in the void, falling and throwing fists, struggling.

"What happened Kaname!?" Masaki yelled as they fell. "Where is the boy who made me promise to use my powers for good!?"

A garganta opened behind them, leading into the soul society. "Where is that Kaname Tosen!?"  
They fell into the atmosphere of the rukongai. Tosen put his hands together pulled them apart to reveal an orb of bright green. "That boy is dead!" Tosen yelled. He threw the orb at Masaki.

"Bakudo 73!" Masaki yelled. "Invers mountain crystal!"

It all happened so fast. The time kido flew at Masaki. The blue pyramid formed around him, and the time kido. He put his hand on sword. "Screech,"

The kido hit him. He hit the ground. The tozansho held, burying the boy into the earth. The inverted pyramid traveled for several kilometers under the earth, traveling a horizontal path.

Finally, it stopped. The crystal held. Masaki was frozen, his hand on his hilt. He had half his sword out of his sheath. Normally, the temporal stasis kept every aspect of the victim frozen in time. But Masaki had his sword half out. A tiny portion of its effect was active.

Masaki could not move.

He could not see.

His body was stuck.

But he could think. He retreated into his inner world. It was a void world, no land anywhere. Or water. But there were platforms. Large circular silver platforms floated randomly all around. Masaki sat on the edge of one of these platforms.

"What just happened?" He asked himself. "What's going on? It all happened so fast."

"You know what happened," A soft voice responded. "You've been sealed away."

He looked up. A small girl stood on a platform higher up. She wore a black Elizabethan dress with flowers on the shoulders. Her skin was grey and her hair was dark blue. Her eyes were completely yellow. She jumped down to Masaki's platform and danced in a circle beside him.

"Higurashi," He nodded. "I'm lost. From what I saw, I'm buried underground, frozen in time."

Higurashi continued to dance. "No, not frozen. You're here, are you not?"

Masaki sighed. "But what can I do here?"

Higurashi stopped and danced, spinning on her toes. "It may very well be a long time before you are found," She admitted. "You are obviously wanted out of the way. Why not become stronger?" She stopped dancing and took his hand. "Come, you can practice your kido, and you can learn to wield me more effectively."

Masaki stood up and followed Higurashi to the center of the platform. "Okay. I will learn."

"Good," Higurashi whispered. "And when you are finally released, you will show the world that you can not be kept down."

* * *

**Author's notes; So that's how it happened. Tosen betrays Masaki, who ends up sealed away for 100 years. Hope you guys like Higurashi's look. Let me know what you think. Please Rate and Review.**


	11. Reunion

Kido Destiny

"And that's how it happened," Masaki finished. "I spent the one hundred years sealed away perfecting my kido, hakuda, zanjutsu and hoho."

"Interesting," The head captain agreed. "Masaki Nakamura, there have been many changes since your being sealed away."

Masaki nodded. "There are a lot of captains I don't recognize. But I count ten. Is captain Urahara still here?"

The head captain shook his head. He went on to relate the events of the creation of the vizards, how many of his favorite captains had disappeared, along with his favorite lieutenant, Lisa. He was told of the loss of the captain and lieutenant of the Kido Corps, and about the defection of the three captains Tosen, Ichimaru, and Aizen. Finally, he was told about Aizen's creation of the arrancar.

"Lisa," He whispered. "Hachi, captain-donno." He clenched his fists. "Tosen."

"The Soul Society has suffered a great loss and now we are in the middle of a war. The Kido Corps have survived, but they are being led by Ana Tsukabishi, someone with the power of a lieutenant. They would benefit much more from having a captain to lead them."

Masaki nodded. "I will be that captain."

"Are you powerful enough?" SoiFon asked.

"I have been training for over 100 years." He insisted. "I've learned how to materialize my zanpakuto. I can achieve bankai, I know it."

"We are short three captains," Jushiro admitted. "So you can't become captain through recommendation."

"You can't kill the last captain," Shunsui added. "There is none."

"The only way you can become a captain," Yamamoto clarified, "Is to pass the exam. To do so, you must achieve bankai."

"I can have it done in a week,"

"Very well," The head captain announced. "As soon as you have, approach the barracks of the 1st squad. There, you will take the exam."

The captains all vanished, except for Shunsui and Ukitake. Nanao also stayed.

Jushiro approached him first. "Masaki?"

The red head looked up at his former guardian. "Jushiro-san."

A second of time passed. Then Masaki embraced him. He hugged the captain tightly. "Jushiro-san," He sniffed. "I was afraid you'd be gone."

"I like how he jumped to you first," Shunsui grinned. A split second later Masaki had his arms around Shunsui's waist.

"It's good to see you, Shunsui-san," He quickly wiped a stray tear from his eye and stood up straight. "I'm happy you're both still here," He exclaimed. "I can't believe it."

Shunsui gripped the rim of his hat. "Like I said before, it's good to see you again, little fire head."

Masaki stepped back. "Thank you both for being here when I got back, and I would love to catch up with you later. But if you'll excuse me, there's someone I'd really like to be alone with."

The two captains looked at each other and smirked before vanishing.

Nanao was left standing with Masaki, alone. "M-Masaki-san," She whispered. He didn't say a word, only walked towards her slowly.

_He was gone for one hundred years, _She thought to herself. _He broke your heart. He left you crying and crying._ He stepped closer. Closer. _You're a woman now,_ She thought to herself. _You are a proper woman, and proper women don't allow themselves to become flustered, or swept away, especially not by boys they haven't seen in a century._

Closer.

_He has the body of a teenager,_ She thought before blushing deeply. _Is . . . is that a pro or a con? I can't decide, _She realized. _I can't,_

His face wasn't a finger's width away from hers.

"M-Masaki . . ."

"Hush," He whispered. Masaki put one hand on her waist, the other on her shoulder. Slowly, carefully, he dipped her. She looked up at the sky, and saw his face. And then he kissed her. It was a sweet, tender kiss. She felt a rush of heat flow through her body. All of her resistance melted away and she fell all over again.

He pulled away slowly and looked down at her face. She was blushing, breathing a little heavy.

"Aren't we still engaged?" He whispered.

She nodded slowly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Masaki,"

"Didn't I promise that I would come back?" He asked. "No matter how long it took, didn't I say that I would come back to you?"

* * *

Nanao had calmly led Masaki back to the 8th squad barracks. She told herself it was because he had nowhere else to stay. But that wasn't the true reason.

They kissed passionately as she slid open the door to her bedroom. She led him into the room and closed the door behind him. He turned around and kissed her neck sweetly.

"Masaki," She whispered. "I-I've never done this before,"

"It's okay," He kissed her cheek softly. "Neither have I. We can teach each other."

She looked into his eyes. He gently took her glasses off with one hand and let her down with the other. "You look beautiful," He whispered.

They fell onto the bed together. And for that one night, Nanao felt happier than she had ever felt in one hundred years.

* * *

The next morning was calm and sweet. Nanao woke with her head resting on her fiancé's chest. It had been a magical night. She kissed his face calmly and woke him up.

Masaki opened his eyes and saw Nanao's face looking down at him. "Good morning," He whispered.

"Good morning," She whispered back. "I find it ironic."

"What?" Masaki asked.

"Now I'm the older one." She grinned. "I know you're technically eight years older than me, but to anyone else it looks like I'm a cougar."

"It doesn't matter to me what anyone else thinks," Masaki insisted. "What do you think?"

She stroked his face sweetly. "I think I've been waiting forever for that night."

"Do you have anything you need to do today?" He asked. "Because I'd love it if you went with me to barracks of the Kido Corps, help me get settled in."

She grinned. "I'd love to. But isn't the location supposed to be a secret?"

Masaki shook his head. "Not to the families of ranked officers."

She blushed. "Thank you."

* * *

Ana Tsukabishi, acting captain of the corps, had just welcomed back Masaki Nakamura and his fiancé to the barracks. Masaki was pleased to see they hadn't changed at all.

"You're still wearing those rags?" Ana shook her head. "Well come on, let's go to the fitting room and get you a clean new shihakusho."

Now, he stood in his new outfit. Masaki wore the standard shihakusho, under his new black robe. The sleeves fit tight around his arms. A yellow belt much like his blue one held the robe closed over the standard uniform. The robe stopped at his waist in the front but continued in the back, down to his ankles. He wore it open, in a v-neck fashion. The robe itself had yellow lining.

"How do I look?" He asked.

Ana smiled. "Like a captain."

"Let's hope I do," He chuckled. "Now, technically, I'm not a member of the corps right now. But is my old room still here?"

Ana scratched the back of her head. "Well, see, there were a lot of new recruits since you've been here," She explained. "Your room has been reused many times. It's not really available right now."

"That's just fine," Nanao clutched his arm. "He can stay with me."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Masaki admitted.

* * *

It was dark. Masaki stood by the window, staring into the night. _They need someone to lead them, _He thought. _They need me._

He felt a pair of soft hands wrap around his waist. It was her.

"Masaki," She whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He said, turning around in her arms. "Nothing's wrong."

"There's something I need to ask." Nanao admitted. "Something that's been eating at me."

"What is it?"

She looked down for a second. "Why did you propose to me, all those years ago?" She asked. "I was a child, and you are who you were back then. Why did you say yes?"

Masaki squeezed her sides gently. He cupped her face in his hands. "When I look at your face I see the cute little girl who told me I looked pretty. Remember when you used to sleep on me when we visited our favorite little field? Or when you came to me with your nightmares and I let you sleep in my bed?"

She nodded, now blushing hard. "I remember. I felt comfortable with you."

He kissed her forehead. "After that happened for the fifth time, I decided I never wanted it to stop." He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "This beautiful little girl trusted me to keep her safe. So I promised myself I would always be there to protect her. That's when I knew I loved you, and wanted to spend the rest of my life with you."

"And when I was sealed away," He continued, "My mind kept going back to what I missed the most. And it was always you. And after ten years had passed, I just thought of how you had grown. And I wanted to marry you right then. I didn't want to wait another second, much less ninety years. And after every passing moment, I wanted to hold you more and more. I have to say, the real you has exceeded all my expectations."

Nanao kissed him softly. "Masaki, I've just had a nightmare." She whispered seductively. "And I need you to comfort me." She reached around to find the light switch and quickly turned it off.

* * *

**Author's Notes; Oooh la la, aren't reunions so sweet? We're finally back into the present, and Masaki already has a lot to do. But at least he's going to have his fiancé**** by his side. Isn't love sweet? Tell me what you think, please Rate and Review.  
**


	12. New Captain Nakamura

Kido Destiny

It was thundering loudly. The night was dark and incredibly stormy, the wind whipped through Masaki's hair. He was wearing nothing but a torn shihakusho bottom, as his top half had long been blown away.

He had many scratch marks all over his face and chest. Floating across from him, high in the air was the little girl with bright yellow eyes, and an Elizabethan dress. They stood at eye level. She had in each of her hands a trident dagger. She grinned at him.

"We're almost there, Masaki." She assured him. "One more round should do it."

Masaki nodded. "Let's go." The vanished. For split seconds, they appeared clashing in the air. He was struggling, only using his sword's sealed form against two of its released forms. A small crowd had gathered on the field below the match to fight to watch.

"That's incredible!" Someone exclaimed. "To watch someone achieve Bankai"

"And become the new captain of the Kido Corps!" Someone else added.

High above, the fighters continued to clash unendingly. Higurashi flew back and pointed her blades at Masaki. "Hanauta Kaze!"

Twin sonic blasts shot from the daggers. They flew at Masaki, matching the speed of sound. He held up his sword and took the damage directly into his blade. He crashed into the ground below, kicking up a cloud of smoke. As it cleared, he stood pointing his trident dagger at Higurashi. His other hand was behind his back, holding a second trident dagger.

"I think I've got it," He grinned.

Higurashi stared down, a sly look on her face. "Well, let's find out."

He flew up at her at lightning speed, his daggers at his sides. Higurashi flew down at him with an equal speed. They clashed in the air and shot straight up.

"Bankai!"

The clouds swirled up in the air. The lightning became stronger, faster. A disk was formed out of all the surrounding clouds, creating a giant sonic boom that shook the soul society.

* * *

Masaki took a step away from the first squad's barracks. Behind him stood the head captain, Soi Fon, and captain Kyoraku, who had his hand on Masaki's shoulder.

The captain slammed his staff onto the ground. A large crowd stood outside the barracks. Nanao had her eyes trained on her fiancé.

"I now present to you, the new captain of the Kido Corps."

The crowd cheered. Masaki blushed. "Thank you," Masaki said meekly. Kyoraku then whistled. "Attention all captains and lieutenants, tonight, drinks are on this guy!"

* * *

Masaki jumped off the tree and swung his blade at Soi Fon. She parried it and swung her own blade down. He side stepped it they clashed once more, sending sparks out in all directions.

"Shunko isn't easily mastered," Soi Fon warned. "You'll need to be one of the higher level captains to achieve it."

Masaki nodded. "I will prove myself that strong."

Soi Fon smirked. "Let's hope you can." She jumped back and pointed her katana at Masaki. "Sting all enemies to death," Her sword glowed and formed into a golden gauntlet around her arm. "Suzumebachi!"

She flew at Masaki. The clashed a few times before he felt himself pierced. He flew back and looked down at his chest. A butterfly mark appeared there.

Soi Fon jumped back and grinned. "If you don't want to die, I suggest we stop now."

Masaki grinned. "Screech, Higurashi." His sword formed into the trident dagger, facing downward. As it formed, the butterfly seal shattered. He grinned up at her.

Her eyes widened, but she then narrowed them, smirking. "So, this is you zanpakuto's ability?"

Masaki nodded. "Any kido-type attacks are completely negated. I'm guessing Suzumebachi's a kido type zanpakuto."

Soi Fon nodded. "It seems like a cheat to me. But I suppose I'm lucky that's not all I can do." She rushed at Masaki. They clashed for almost five minutes and when she pulled away, he was covered from head to toe in butterfly marks. There was one on his face, withy the wing formed around his eyes.

"How about now?" Masaki gripped the dagger with both hands. It's extra daggers buzzed against each other, sending special reiatsu spinning around him. One by one, each of the seals shattered.

"I see," Soi Fon nodded. "Your zanpakuto can easily destroy one kido based attack. But if I attack multiple times, you need more time to rid yourself of the kido based attacks." Soi Fon sheathed her sword. She grinned smugly. "I seem to have found your weakness."

Masaki shook his head. "Weakness?" He took his right hand off of his dagger. A second trident dagger formed in his hand.

"Let's try that again." He crossed the blades together. "Orchid sky,"

A tornado flew from his blades and sucked the surrounding trees into it. Soi Fon's eyes widened before it hit her. She smirked. "Fantastic."

* * *

Masaki stood outside of a little shop. He sensed a familiar reiatsu within. He opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting cross legged within was an old friend.

"Urahara?"

The white haired man's fan snapped shut. He grinned. "It's been a long time, Masaki."

"I'm here to learn everything, from your point of view," Masaki explained. "And I'm here to catch up with an old friend."

"Then let's catch up." For the next half hour, Kisuke related his side of the story of what happened 100 years ago. From taking the Visored's to earth, to opening his shop.

"Our ex-captain is now your shop assistant?" Masaki asked, surprised. At that moment, Tessai walked into the room, carrying a tray of drinks. He grinned when he saw Masaki.

"It has been a long time, my 3rd seat."

Masaki rushed at the man and embraced him. "Captain Tessai!" He exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"You haven't grown a day," Tessai exclaimed, patting Masaki on the head. "I am no longer captain."

" I know," Masaki said. He pulled back, and cleared his throat. "Um, that position currently is under the holding . . . of, um," He cleared his throat again. "I'm the new captain."

Tessai chuckled. "I apologize, Nakamura, but it is only because I haven't seen you in such a long time that your news is hard to believe."

Masaki frowned. His cheeks became red and he crossed his arms. "I am, ex captain Tessai. And I'll prove it to you." His frown became a smirk. "I challenge you to a kido duel."

Kisuke's fan snapped open. "I know just the spot."

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I've been busy. SO, we get to see the ex captain face off against the new one. What's going to happen here? Who's going to be strongest?**


	13. Tessai

Kido Destiny

Tessai and Masaki stood on opposite sides of the giant rocky plane underneath Urahara's shop. The hat wearing ex-shinigami stood atop one of the mountains, grinning down at the combatants. "This should be an exciting match. If little boy Nakamura is truly worthy of the title of captain."

"So we are agreed," Tessai called out. "No zanpakuto. Only kido, hakuda, and hoho."

Masaki nodded. "No zanpakuto." He crouched into a fighting stance. Masaki held up his middle and index fingers. They tinged with power. "Hado 4," He pointed at Tessai. "Byakurai!"

Lightning shot from his fingers! Tessai easily sidestepped and punched at Masaki. A ball of flame flew form his fist at lightning speed and incinerated the area in a wide radius around Masaki. The red haired shinigami jumped back, his shirt scorched. He panted.

Kisuke grinned, snapping his fan open. _Interesting._

Tessai threw several more punches, each sending out shots of the red flame cannon. Masaki ran across the plane, just missing the explosion each time. _Hado 31,_ He realized.

Masaki jumped into the air and pointed at Tessai. "Hado 54: Abolishing flame!" A violet shot flew from his fingertips. Tessai was long gone when it hit the boulder behind him, disintegrating it into ash.

Tessai was behind him instantly. He flicked Masaki behind the neck, sending the boy crashing into the ground. Masaki's impact created a cloud of dust, and Tessai wasted no time using his advantage.

He threw a punch at the ground. "Thunder roar cannon!" A giant blast of lightning flew from the ex-captain's fist, right into the crater Masaki made on impact. Tessai nodded.

"Kisuke, prepare the medical bed."

The white haired shop owner shook his head. "Look close, Tessai."

Tessai looked down into the crater. Within, a transparent wall had absorbed the blast. But even more shocking, there was no boy within the crater.

"Orchid sky!"

A tornado shot from Masaki's fists and flew straight into Tessai's back! Tessai flew to the ground and kicked off a crater, leaping onto a plateau beside the red haired prodigy.

"You were pretending to need to say the number of your kido," Tessai realized. Masaki shook his head.

"Name? Name's are for when I need extra power." He snapped his fingers. Shining golden chains flew from the air and wrapped themselves around Tessai. Masaki grinned. "I've evolved beyond the need to say even names for certain spells."

Tessai smirked. "You're a clever boy, that's for sure." The ex-captain flexed, destroying the chains. "But you've forgotten; I was captain before you!"

He threw a fist, and shining chains shot from his fist. Tessai then pulled his arm back. "Hundred steps fence!"

He threw a rod of light that became many rods. The addition of the name gave them a giant boost in both speed and power. Masaki's eyes widened.

The mountain top he was on crumpled into dust. He stood on the other side, bound by the shining chain. He cursed. Masaki didn't posses the physical strength Tessai did.

"Now you know why I became captain," Tessai made several hand signs at lightning speed. "Bakudo 99! First song; Halting fabric."

A spiritual fabric appeared and flew around Masaki, tightening around his body and suffocating him.

"Second song,"

The fabric burst into flames. Masaki flew from the fire and punched Tessai in the chest. "Bound lighting!"

Volts of power flew from his palm and into Tessai's body. The two crashed into another rock formation, turning it into dust!

Before the dust cleared, Tessai kneed Masaki in the chest. He then spun and kicked the boy away before throwing another punch, sending twin shots of blue fire at the flying boy.

As Masaki flew back, he threw a fist at the earth. "Pale lightning!" He shot himself into the air and flew at Tessai. The ex-captain flew straight for him as well. Together, they threw their palms forward, and their twin yells filled the rocky plane.

"_Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon__!"_

They clashed in a flurry of sparks and light. For a moment, Kisuke was almost blinded. When he could see better, his eyes widened.

In the center of the plane, dark energy swirled around the two opponents, concealing them from view. It formed into a giant black box, Hado 90. Black swords appeared outside the box and quickly stabbed the area inside. The box disappeared, and from it fell Tessai, holding the unconscious shinigami in his hands.

* * *

Tessai set the boy onto a bed and covered him with a blanket. Both their faces were covered with bandages. Kisuke walked into the room.

"How does he look?"

"He should be good as knew as soon as he wakes up. I don't doubt he can heal himself back to full strength."

Kisuke nodded. "I guess we finally know who's superior, don't we? It seems like we oldies still hold the crown."

Tessai shook his head. "I might have beaten him, or you might even call what happened a tie. But I can assure you, it will never happen again." He patted the boy's forehead gently. "Frozen in time for many years, this boy only had his own mind to teach him the kido he knew in our fight. Kisuke, his ability to learn amazes me."

Kisuke nodded. "But surely you could still take him on, right?"

Again, Tessai shook his head. "He's learned a lot from this fight, and I don't doubt he'll go back to the soul society and learn even more. I can not hope to defeat him again. You see, Urahara, I wasn't the one to cast that last kido."

He took a step back. "He did it himself."

* * *

Masaki put his arms around his fiancé in his new living quarters, the captain's quarters of the kido corps barracks. Nanao blushed, but gently cupped his face in her hands.

"You will be a great captain, I know it."

Madaki kissed her nose sweetly. "I'm glad you have faith in me. Because the truth is, I need it. You can give me confidence, you can give me strength."

She kissed his cheek tenderly. "All I can do is help you see what already lies within." She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him onto the bed playfully. "Mr. Captain."

He chuckled as she jumped onto him and started kissing his neck. "Now, now, I haven't even undressed yet."

Nanao gently scratched his chest. "I'm impatient."

Masaki reached over and turned off the bedside lamp, leaving the couple in a happy darkness.

* * *

The next day, in the early morning, Masaki finished signing his name on the last bit of paperwork that he had to do. Well, for that morning at least.

"Sir!"

Masaki looked up to see Ana, his lieutenant, bowing stiffly. He chuckled. "You don't have to bow, Ana. We're friends."

She stood up and nodded. "Right. It just feels weird, sir. Having to call you sir and all, sir."

Masaki chuckled. "You don't have to do that either. Anything to report?"

She nodded. "The head captain has ordered a captain's meeting at once. He requests that you attend as well."

Masaki's eyes narrowed. "We're not a part of the 13 court guard squad. The last time the Kido Corps captain attended a meeting,"

Ana nodded. "I know sir. Clearly, it is extremely important."

Masaki nodded. "I will attend."

* * *

The red haired captain opened the door to the meeting hall and stepped in. He felt the gaze of the other captains on him. As the door closed, he stood in the entryway.

"Thank you for joining us, captain Nakamura." The head captain greeted. "It is important that we begin the meeting immediately."

Masaki nodded. "I understand."

The head captain continued. "There are some rather unusual reports coming from the human world. Signs of something we have all feared. There may very well be multiple Vasto Lorde roaming the world of the living."

Everyone's eyes widened. "Vasto Lorde?" Ukitake asked. "You're sure?"

"That is what we are trying to find out. To that end, I am sending four of you to the human world in order to discover whether or not there is any Vasto Lorde to be found."

"I am ordering captains Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, and Soifon to the human world, and I am requesting Captain Nakamura go as well."

_I get it. He can't order me because I'm not under his jurisdiction._ Masaki nodded. "I will go as well."

The captain commander banged his staff on the ground. "Then it is decided. Ready yourselves, and go before the sun sets."

* * *

Hours later, the captains stood atop Sokyoku hill, all wearing packs of supplies. Masaki slammed his palms into the earth. A door appeared from the air and opened, revealing the way to the world of the living.

"Right then, let's go." Soifon stepped through the door, but not before turning to Masaki. "This is your first mission as captain. Try not to screw it up."

Toshiro was next. He nodded at Masaki. "I trust that you'll perform well." He too stepped through the gate.

Finally, there was Byakuya. The noble captain stood just outside the door and turned to Nakamura. "Try not to get in my way." He stepped forward.

Masaki chuckled. "We're an interesting bunch." He stood up and walked through the door, before it closed slowly and vanished.

* * *

**Author's note: An interesting bunch indeed. What's going to happen when you put these 4 in a room together? Let's find out! Please Read, Rate and Review.**


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